Livestock Management
Canada’s failure to meet its 30,000 animals per year target could jeopardize its controlled risk status designation
Canada is not testing enough cattle for BSE, which could jeopardize its place in the world as a major beef exporter. “We are not meeting our quota targets for testing, which on an international trade level looks bad,” said Ian Giebelhaus of the Rimbey Veterinary Clinic. He is one of four veterinarians hired by the […] Read more
Livestock Management
Calgary Bull Sale moves to racetrack to reduce cost, downtown congestion
The Calgary Bull Sale is leaving its 116-year-old home on the city’s Stampede grounds and moving out of town. The Century Downs racetrack northeast of Calgary will host the long running bull sale March 2-3. “The costs of having the sale in downtown Calgary were becoming a bit prohibitive,” said Neal Church of the Alberta […] Read more
Kazakhstan eyes major role in world beef
REGINA — Kazakhstan hopes to become a major force in the world of beef with help from Canada. “We say that Kazakhstans are the biggest beef eaters in the world, next to the wolves,” said Dauren Matakbayev, general manager of the Kazakhstan Hereford Association. The association was created in 2011 after 25,000 head of Hereford, […] Read more
Lead toxicity endangers cattle but also food safety issue
Lead toxicity is one of the most common toxicological events that affect beef cattle herds. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s disease investigation unit has worked with local veterinarians and producers to investigate these outbreaks. Here is an example of a particularly severe outbreak. A herd of 140 cows was turned out to pasture in […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers has misgivings about Bill 6
Delegates to Alberta Beef Producers are uneasy about the implications of the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act. The provincial government amended Bill 6 Dec. 7, promising to exclude farm and ranch owners and their families from mandatory Occupational Health and Safety rules and mandatory Workers’ Compensation Board coverage. Mandatory coverage goes into […] Read more
COOL tariff ruling renews calls to repeal law
UPDATED: Dec. 7, 2015 – 1145 CST – The World Trade Organization has granted Canada and Mexico the right to impose more than $1 billion in retaliatory tariffs against the United States following a seven year dispute over country-of-origin labeling. In a Dec. 7 news release, the WTO arbitration panel set the annual level of […] Read more
Updated bison code focuses on euthanasia
Revisions to the bison code of practice are underway and should be in place within two years. Jennifer Woods, a livestock handling specialist who conducts animal welfare audits, said the public comment period is expected to begin next fall. Bison producers have had a code of practice since 2001 and should prepare themselves for changes […] Read more
Adoption introduces Haitian boy to world of cattle
REGINA — Ken Paul is a typical Canadian boy who likes hockey, chicken dinners and hanging out with friends. It was not always so. He was living in a Haitian orphanage when he became one of 203 children linked with a new Canadian family in Operation Stork following the 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince. His […] Read more
Genetics sale generates buzz
A new sale at Canadian Western Agribition signals growth in a particular segment of the cattle industry. The Champions by Design club calf genetics sale saw offerings of live animals, semen and embryos from breeders in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Organizer Tyson Rasmuson of Midale, Sask., said breeders who raise show cattle expressed interest […] Read more
Dolliver family shows its ranch heart
REGINA — The beef business has taken the Dolliver family all directions on the compass. Originally from Nova Scotia, John and Tammy Dolliver moved to Alberta eight years ago. Later this year, the family and their cattle will be moving further west to join Tanya Belsham to work at Poplar Meadows Angus in Houston, B.C. […] Read more
